Surviving Road Trips With Children

< p>[#image: /photos/53db192d6dec627b14a18268]||||||< br>< br>I'm a big fan of the fun read that is < ahref="http://www.gadling.com" target="perrin">Gadling, even though its posts rarely pertain to any aspect of my life (a twentysomething hipster with time on my hands I'm not). So I was excited to see < u>two posts up this morning about car trips with tykes. Now < u>that's info I could use. Alas, though, I've tried the advised tactics, and they just don't work for my kids (pictured above on a 7-hour road trip last summer). < ahref="http://www.gadling.com/2007/03/02/restless-kids-printable-car-activities/" target="perrin">Printable Car Activities require using pointed, staining handheld instruments in non-destructive ways -- something my junior commandos seem incapable of.< em>< br>< p>< ahref="http://www.gadling.com/2007/03/02/car-trip-check-list-handy-and-smart/" target="perrin">Car Trip Check List recommends sticker books, but I've found these work only if I'm sitting with the kids in the back seat. Otherwise they lose interest within three minutes or < ahref="http://www.thomasandfriends.com/usa/thomas_the_tank_official_us_website_intro.htm" target="perrin">Thomas the Tank Engine stickers end up all over creation.< p> Of the laundry list of car activities I've tried (a list that doesnot include videos, DVDs, or computerized gadgets), what's worked bestby far are guessing games requiring no props whatsoever: There's the"song guessing game," the "numbers guessing game," the "fireworksguessing game" (don't ask), the "engine guessing game" (yes, I amexpert in the subtle differences among < ahref="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_the_Tank_Engine" target="perrin">Thomas, < ahref="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_the_Red_Engine" target="perrin">James, < ahref="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_the_Small_Engine" target="perrin">Percy, < ahref="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_the_Big_Engine" target="perrin">Gordon, < ahref="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_the_Green_Engine" target="perrin">Henry, < ahref="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_the_Blue_Engine" target="perrin">Edward, < ahref="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toby_the_Tram_Engine" target="perrin">Toby, and the < ahref="http://melgarvewarrior.tripod.com/sodorisland/railwayprofiles.html" target="perrin">dozens of other engines living on the < ahref="http://www.thomasandfriends.com/usa/thomas_the_tank_official_us_website_intro.htm" target="perrin">Island of Sodor).< p>What's worked second best are Crayola < ahref="http://www.crayolastore.com/category.asp?NAV=COLOR&." target="perrin">Color Wonder paper and pens (whose colorless ink is invisible except on Color Wonder paper). Third best are regular paper and Crayola's washable < ahref="http://www.crayola.com/canwehelp/products/flip-top/index.cfm" target="perrin">flip-top markers (so you never have to search the car for lost pen caps). My 3-year-old is happy just to flip the cap on and off, on and off, for 15 minutes at a time (no paper needed!).< br> < p>Attention, moms of small boys: Any other suggestions?< p>[#image: /photos/53db192ddcd5888e145e2d17]||||||< br>< br>